Since his untimely death, Stieg Larsson has become one of the world’s most famous authors. His Millennium Trilogy novels – THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO and its sequels – have sold more than 90 million copies worldwide and spawned multiple film adaptations. Yet in the years before he introduced Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist to the world, Larsson himself faced real-world intrigue and danger as riveting as anything in his novels. An outspoken investigative journalist, he defied intimidation and death threats to expose extremist and racist groups in his native Sweden. Remarkably prescient, Larsson warned of the disturbing growth of the far right as a political force – an admonition that has proved chillingly apt in recent years, in Sweden and beyond.

With unprecedented access to Larsson’s meticulously researched and politically charged archives, as well as interviews with his life partner and colleagues, STIEG LARSSON: THE MAN WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE reveals a man whose moral compass led him to unwaveringly protect the principles of democracy and freedom from those who would threaten their continued existence… no matter the cost.

Some Background:Director/Screenwriter

Henrik Georgsson

After studying documentary direction at Stockholm’s Dramatiska Institutet, Georgsson worked as an assistant director for Swedish documentarian Stefan Jarl. He has a background directing docs and fiction series for Swedish television.

This is the first Sundance credit for TriArt’s Nohrborg, a 30-year veteran of the Swedish film industry as a producer and distributor.

Editors:

Olof Berglind and Kalle Lindberg

This marks Berglind and Lindberg’s first Sundance project.

Why You Should Watch:
As noted in my program description above, Georgsson makes expert use of Larsson’s exclusive archives to reveal the surprisingly dramatic background of the author and a world of political intrigue and xenophobia that is both all too topical and compelling, whether or not the viewer has read his famed novels.

More Info:

For Sundance screening dates and times, click the film title in the first paragraph.